Phantoms lose 4-2 in Norfolk

Published on March 26, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


(NORFOLK, Va., March 26, 2003) - The Norfolk Admirals scored the final four goals and clinched a Western Conference playoff berth tonight at the Norfolk Scope with a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phantoms.

Philadelphia moved ahead 2-0 thanks to goals by Jamie Wright and Jim Vandermeer before Norfolk scored twice in both the second and third periods. Goaltender Michael Leighton finished with 21 saves as the Admirals won their second straight following a nine-game winless streak (0-5-3-1).

Phantoms goaltender Neil Little stopped 24-of-27 shots and had his personal six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) come to an end. The Phantoms suffered just their third loss in the last nine games and retained the 10th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Philadelphia jumped out to a 1-0 lead 45 seconds into the game on Wright's 10th goal of the year and eighth as a Phantom. Andre Savage's initial shot was blocked by Admirals defenseman Kent Huskins on the play, but the deflection bounced straight to Wright, who knocked it in from the doorstep.

Vandermeer doubled the lead at 6:32 of the second period with four seconds to go in Todd Gill's hooking minor. David Harlock set up Vandermeer's shot from the point, which was the second-year defenseman's fourth goal of the season and first since Dec. 20 vs. Hershey.

Norfolk rallied with a pair of goals over a 1:50 span late in the second to knot the score at 2-2. Rookie Travis Moen put the Admirals on the board with his first career goal at 15:36 during a 2-on-1 rush with Jeff Helperl. Brett McLean then netted his 22nd of the season with 2:34 left, with assists going to Huskins and Matt Henderson.

The Phantoms failed to score during a five-minute high-sticking major on Ajay Baines that bridged the second and third periods, and then found themselves down two men when Wade Skolney received a high-sticking major and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on the Philadelphia bench.

Just over a minute into the Norfolk 5-on-3 advantage, Peter White and Marty Wilford set up Casey Hankinson's 26th goal that made it 3-2 at 6:02. White was facing his former team for the first time since being loaned to the Admirals on March 11.

Baines capped the scoring with an empty-net goal, his sixth, with 1:32 remaining. Little had been pulled for a sixth-attacker nine seconds earlier.

The Phantoms fell to 3-5-0-1 vs. the Admirals this season, with the final match-up scheduled for this Sunday in Philadelphia. Before then, the Phantoms will conclude their three-game road trip with games in Cincinnati and Cleveland on Friday and Saturday.

Phantoms Notes: Earlier in the day, Patrick Sharp was reassigned from the Flyers and met the Phantoms in Norfolk ... Leading-scorer Mark Greig was scratched to rest a sore knee ... Harlock has four assists in his last four games ... Wright has seven points (2G, 5A) in his last six games ... Philadelphia still holds a 6-5-1-2 all-time lead when playing in Norfolk.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2003


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